Posted on 02/07/2006 6:24:19 AM PST by bikepacker67
No initiation of contact isn't important for a push off. For other general contact initiation is necessary, but a push off is interference regardless of who started the contact. I believe the theory is if the defender started the contact the receiver shouldn't push off because the defender will get flagged anyway, and if contact was mutual (which in this case it really was) and the receiver needs to push off to make the catch then he screwed up. A push off is always interference, the most initiation of contact plays into it is you might get matching interference calls and a do over with no yardage assessed (pretty rare, but theoretically possible), either way the catch will be wiped away.
Ah, ok.
Starr would've been perfect. .....or Namath (maybe he'd have entertained us by getting sloshed and flirting with the sideline network babes).
C'mon Commish, now you're the one not being honest here. It wasn't THAT clear cut. OPI is not called if your name is Michael Irvin, Jerry Rice, Terrell Owens... should I go on? If it were that clear-cut, why all the controversy at the Half? Why the comments from Steve Young & Michael Irvin? These guys know what you generally can, and can't get away with.
It also depends a lot on the game situation. You tend to see it more when the pass is up the sideline, or on the end zone fade route where the defender is trailing the Wideout. The wideout will often shield the defender, like a basketball player boxing out, then attempt to accelerate or leap to the ball. If the arm goes out on either of those routes, the flag generally comes out.
OTOH, when you have a receiver & defender locked up in the endzone it really gets gray... My only point is that the refs should let them play. It's a big game, and only flagrant stuff should be called. Hassleback's pass was delivered on the shoulder where the D-back couldn't reach anyway, so where's the advantage?
Randy Galloway
Fort Worth Star Telegram Writer.
Strictly as (almost) a neutral observer, and someone no closer to Detroit than a 42-inch Sony HD on Farm Road 5 in Aledo, a weekend of Super Bowl worsts came down to the following items:
Joe Montana knew what he was doing.
Reports out west say Montana refused to be a part of the pregame introduction of former MVPs. The NFL was paying for the weekend travel expenses, plus $1,000 in spending money. Joe, it is being reported, wanted a $100,000 appearance fee. To sit through that awful game, I also wouldn't have taken anything less than a hundred thou.
I've been there for 29 of the 40 Super Bowls, and watched the others, like this one, on TV. From a pure football standpoint, this was the worst ever. Boredom has been a Super Bowl problem over the years. But that was because of blowouts. This was certainly the worst competitive game ever.
The Seahawks got jacked.
Many a Super Bowl has had a bad call here and there. But this was by far the worst start-to-finish performance by an officiating crew in 40 years. Totally inept work by referee Bill Leavy and his guys. Strangely, the worst of the flags all went against Seattle at critical times.
The best team didn't win Super Bowl XL. Bill Leavy was the Steelers' MVP, not Hines Ward. Before all my Steelers' friends start cussing a yellow-flag streak, and hit me with their "Terrible Vowels:" I spent two weeks promoting Pittsburgh as a bet-til-your-hands-bleed "lock" giving the four points.
And since it was the Super Bowl, I even waived my personal "no wagering on anything 2-legged" edict. Won a couple of hundred on the game. No, I didn't feel guilty collecting the money.
But out of appreciation, I will stuff one of the Franklins in an envelope and mail it to Bill Leavy, care of the National Football League, New York, New York.
While Seattle took much the worst of it Sunday, the Steelers deserved the Lombardi silver only for their golden playoff run that got them to Detroit.
They certainly didn't "win" this Super Bowl.
Worst rebuttal: "See there, Galloway, it's not about the quarterback."
Something about Ben R. having a miserable performance and his team winning anyway. I was hearing a lot of this nonsense Monday.
But what about the other QB?
Matt Hasselbeck kept making the plays, only to see mysterious flags fall, wiping them out.
This Super Bowl will always be remembered for the zebras.
It was about the zebras.
But the best player on the field was Hasselbeck.
The worst player on the field was my man, Ben R.
It's always about the quarterback, good and bad.
Worst opinion from anyone:
No, it wasn't about the Steelers' defense. See above item on Leavy and Co.
Worst coaching excuse:
Bill Cowher at halftime, laying the blame on Ben R.
And this was a coach with an offensive game plan to start the Super Bowl that was all about running the football. So when the offense goes nowhere, Cowher wants to blame the quarterback.
Weak.
Worst timing:
The Seahawks lost three defensive starters to injury during the game. The Steelers, meanwhile, added seven new "friends," all of them wearing striped shirts.
Pittsburgh, you be very, very lucky.
From Saturday, the worst alibi:
"See there, there is no Cow Bias." Huh?
The selection committee for the Pro Football Hall of Fame finally got it Wright on Rayfield. And didn't screw up the obvious on Troy. So now, what, we just forget and forgive?
Hell, no.
Not until there is justice for Michael Irvin, for Chuck Howley, for Bob Hayes, for Cliff Harris, for Drew Pearson. Are you telling me that John Madden is a Hall of Famer and those guys aren't?
Warren Moon? C'mon.
The screaming from here will continue.
Worst omission from Saturday:
Michael Irvin, and that's Michael's fault.
Michael, between now and next February could you please keep yourself out of any situation involving dope?
Otherwise, you're the dope.
I'll buy that.
You're entitled to your own opinion, of course, but you're not entitled to your own facts. Your claim is demonstrably false.
Which hand is holding?
You Texans sure stack the bullshit nice and high.
Yes, the Steelers did very well after dropping 3 straight in the middle of the season. Big Ben was playing like a seasoned pro and helped get them to the Big Show. They defeated some superb teams at home--indeed made them look incomplete and hapless. They must have just run out of gas at the end, or the extra time off hurt their Big Mo.
I'm not a Steelers fan per se, but I do like Roethlisberger, Bettis, and Ward. I was hoping for a better game from #7 and #36 (at least a TD for the Bus, I know that he is just a role player--he had a chance to score on 1st & goal and 2nd & goal but everyone watching knew it was Bettis up the middle, so the D could just stack the line). Big Ben had a very rough game, which is too bad considering what he's capable of. He almost cost his team the game with that INT in the red zone, but had just enough plays to git 'er done. I doubt he cares about his passer rating but it would have been nice to see him put in an MVP performance (personally I thought Randle El would get the award).
No asterisk. The Steelers won the game and now lead the NFL in Super Bowls won by poor officiating with two (lest we forget XIII).
Enjoy the win. Do the refs get their own float in the parade, or are they riding in Cowher's car?
He wasn't pulling for the Steelers, he said they would win.
Can you see the difference between predicting who will win and rooting for the team one wants to win?
Good grief! Cowboy fans are such crybabies!
Me too. Hines Ward was in more plays, but that throw by Randle El and the run by Parker and the interception by Herdon were the three best plays of the game. Hines also dropped a TD. The throw on the run by Randle El and hitting Ward on stride probably stands out as the best play. If Randel El did anything else, he probably would have been MVP.
that is great news. We may not have the best team (yet) but we have the best patriotism, it seems
Randle El did have a key 3rd down conversion late in the game that helped eat up more time as well as assist in the battle for field position. Big Ben dumped off a short pass to him and Randle El had to juke and jive to get to the marker. That, coupled with his superb TD pass, was enough to make him the player of the game IMO. Ward had good yardage in large part thanks to R.E.'s precision pass.
Thanks for posting. That made me smile.
What, did the refs butter up Jackie Smith's hands?
SD
I found the true statement in this pile. What do I win?
SD
Forgot one ping.
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